‘Don’t think Rohit Sharma will be allowed..’: Former India opener makes bold prediction ahead of WI tour

India is gearing up for their next ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with a tour of the West Indies next month. However, there are concerns about the team’s direction in red-ball cricket. Ravi Shastri and others have called for “hard calls” to be made to secure the future, which could mean the end of several senior members of the current squad.

The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane have been India’s Test mainstays for some time now, but their age is catching up with them. As the younger generation starts to make their mark, the question arises: will the ageing superstars make way for the new blood?

Rohit Sharma, the current Test captain, will be 38 by the time the ongoing WTC cycle ends. While he has proven his credentials as a captain, there are doubts about whether the team management will be willing to continue with him two years from now.

Former India opener turned commentator Aakash Chopra believes that Rohit is a capable captain, but the team management may have other plans.

“Rohit Sharma is a good captain. That is out of the question, understands the pulse of the game, doesn’t make common mistakes. He’s very decent,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“The question is not about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. It’s about playing XI (for the WTC final). The next question is on the type of pitches they play at home. See, all these decisions are taken by the team management. I am sure Rohit Sharma would’ve been part of the think-tank when Virat Kohli was the captain. Now Kohli will also be part of that group too. However, the responsibility lies with the one who goes for the toss. The focus now is on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid like it was before on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. This is the sad reality,” Chopra said.

Rohit, along with several other senior players who participate in all three formats of the game, have taken breaks. However, Chopra believes that this may no longer be feasible.

“When we look two years into the future, in 2025, Rohit Sharma could still be playing Test cricket if he really wants to play Test cricket. Committing for six series is a long time. He has missed cricket in the past but today where Indian cricket stands, I don’t think he will be allowed as many breaks,” Chopra said.

“Rohit is a good captain, a good Test batter but will the future be the same, I’m not a 100 per cent certain. Two cycles, two finals, you haven’t won once. Age is also not on his side. This is the sad reality,” he added.

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